To think hotels are awful

[Hooploop]

Me and DP are coming to the end of a two week holiday in Cornwall. We wanted to avoid Airbnbs because of all the housing controversy, and treated ourselves to some 4-5 star hotels that were recommended to us and have great reviews - premium rooms too. But we've been really disappointed by everywhere we've stayed. We always seem to end up getting a dud room witha broken bed, or broken windows, or the one room in the entire hotel next to the busy main road, or above the bar (when the hotel was marketed as being a 'relaxing' retreat!)

Thinking about it, I've never had a positive experience of staying in any hotel. They're always a bit weird and shabby, even the really posh ones. And people coming and going all night is annoying. What do you all think of hotels?

Love a good hotel. Having my bed made, chocolates on the pillow, dressing for dinner and not worrying about getting back afterwards - I live for hotel holidays!

But, I think you have to pay a LOT more for a high standard, decent hotel in the UK than abroad. And probably not look below 5 star.

Yeah uk ones are generally poor. A combination of cheaply converted old properties and poor upkeep, I love the Isle of Wight but most of the hotels we’ve been in have all been hilarious and dated , very much like Fawlty Towers. Albert Cottage next to Osbourne house was pretty nice to be fair but even that had a loose tap. France is similar in standards although the food makes up for it.
Compared to say Barcelona where even cheap rooms are modern, clean and well presented.
I like the Park Plaza Westminster bridge but even that had a suite where the decking in the terrace was missing and loose. Just low standards in the U.K.

I love hotels. Don’t even have to be super fancy!

I find hotels in the UK outside of cities very overrated.

Echo this x 100
Love a hotel!

There are some lovely country house hotels in Wales.

I agree, there's always something! Even 4//5 stars I think are not thinking about their customers. Its all Instagram friendly pics but the essentials of check in/check out, breakfast times etc etc are lost!

We love the Blakeney Hotel in Norfolk and there are lots of small places in the area with rooms that look nice but I haven't tried them

YANBU.

Agree with unless you go super-pricey it’s not worth it. I’d rather go budget and be pleasantly surprised then 4* and disappointed.

I stay in hotels for work, so have to pick from their list and stick to their budget. The only one I've found that didn't have any problems was one that did weddings in the summer and had rooms available for general booking mid-week in the winter

Every other one has had issues - bathrooms that have been wiped over but aren't really clean, windows that don't open, single glazed windows next to a busy road. Always just a feeling that they've gone a year or two past when they needed a good upgrade.

The two worst have been Travel lodges, both booked because I thought at least they have a basic standard they meet. One was so dirty I had to change rooms.

It's been a couple of years since I was last in a premier inn, but they were basic, but consistently clean and comfortable when I last used them.

I've noticed that since Covid prices have gone up a lot. My budget from work hasn't, which might go some way to explaining the problems!

@ChateauQueen Exactly. The place we're currently staying is 5 star apparently and doesn't even have drinking water in the room (the tap water isn't drinkable apparently). It's £4 a bottle to buy from room service. No welcome or any information in the room or given on check in, just here's your room key, bye.

I don't think we have ever had a 'bad hotel' experience in this country- there are so many review sites these days- I Trip Advisor the hell out of everywhere before I book! Maybe I'm just lucky?
When we go away as a family we usually get a 2 bed apartment so the 3 of us are behind one door.
When it's just DH and me - the Grand at York is very special and amazing- I've also stayed at the Hotel Indigo in Manchester recently - also brilliant -The Midland' in Manchester is great as well. Very old school traditional - all staff go above and beyond. Felt very looked after in all places.
Hotel Indigo is way more 'modern' than the others but loved it. The Grand has people pulling up in massively expensive cars who toss their keys to the staff to valet park and look after their luggage. DH and I travelled there more modestly on the train and sorted ourselves out- staff treat you all like royalty though!
I also like a Premier Inn- it has always been consistently the same wherever I have been - not luxury but clean, v comfortable bed and a late check out at 12pm as standard.

Going down for breakfast

Yeah, come on you bunch of miseries: hotel breakfasts are a real treat.

DH and I went to a stunning place last month. In huge, manicured grounds it was absolutely picture postcard worthy.
Excitedly checked in, looking forward to a couple of days luxury to be met with a gorgeous room… that absolutely stank.
It was an old building with no air conditioning, something we did expect, but what we didn’t expect was that they had flung all the windows of the room wide open in the hopes of letting in some air. This was unfortunate as it was immediately obvious the room was above the kitchen and the whole thing smelled truly awful. Chip fat clung to the curtains and bedding and very quickly us. It was barely 4pm and they hadn’t even started to cater for the evening yet.

Returned to reception who apologised and said it was the only room they had. Ended up leaving and finding a chain Doubletree to stay in and cutting the break short.
next time, rather than the twee country houses I think I will just got for Travelodge etc.

The 'star rating' doesn't necessarily mean "nicer" - although it does cover things like cleanliness and customer care it's also related to what facilities they have. Which does often go hand in hand with fancier hotels but they could still have tacky decor and grumpy staff!

www.which.co.uk/reviews/uk-hotel-chains/article/hotel-star-ratings-explained-a0bgV3M8kfx2

Except you really have to pay through the nose if you don’t want to have to make your own toast (those toasting machines are dreadful) and have hot drinks not out of a machine.

@Hooploop that sounds really unlucky - all the 'posh' places I mentioned had free chilled bottled water in the room as well as various snack type things all included! If you needed anything they were really happy to help. At The Grand you call them and they bring a little jug of cold fresh milk to your room for tea and coffee in the if you don't want to use the UHT milk provided. Biggest room I've ever stayed in as well- larger than the ground floor of my house I think!

I love them but I only stay in really good ones, I've only ever had issues in cheaper ones

I just stayed at one, room was stinking and had at least 5 flies (I know because we killed 4 and one was still flying around) they told us there were no other rooms, but suddenly they had one available when we showed them online that you could book for that night.

furious, awaiting results of complaint still

So much mediocrity.

With premier inn you get a scrupulously clean room and a decent shower. The rooms are basic and there are no bells and whistles, but the price reflects that. It means that there is no disappointment.

I love hotels. I used to live in one.

Me and my oh used to quite regularly go out and then stay out in a hotel in central London even though we only lived half an hour away. You used to be able to get some ridiculous good deals on nice rooms if you just walked in and asked.

I’m staying in a hotel at the moment. It’s great. My room is immaculate, my bed is very comfortable and the wifi works. Tomorrow morning, someone will cook & serve my breakfast for me. Someone else will clear up after me. Then, after I have gone out for the day to explore this interesting place, someone will clean & tidy my room for me. When I return, someone else will mix a cocktail for me while other people cook & serve a delicious dinner for me. What is to dislike about any of that?

Oooh I love a hotel!

Over the years I've stayed in some really crap ones and equally some amazingly wonderful ones

The ones in SE Asia stick in my mind as particularly great compared with UK hotels

I love them. Always read reviews before you go though.
Occasionally you get a rubbish room or its not as expected, but on the rare time it's happened I've complained straight away and asked to switch rooms. It's always worked, or I've got a partial refund/drinks voucher.

I honestly hate hotels so much. I've given them a fair try, from modern chain hotels, to luxury hotels, to older quaint hotels, and I just can't seem to relax in them. Their small rooms, even when they're suites, chain style decoration, bedding and curtains, horrible hard sorry firm mattresses, interruptions from cleaning staff, I just don't like it. Its like being in a regimented school! As for full board - especially all you can eat - oh god no. I've stayed in a junior suite at Chateau Lake Louise (found dirt on the carpet, mix up over the room keys so we walked into a room containing 2 young women) and tbh it was still bedroom sized and nothing special.

I prefer self - catering. Most other countries don't have the irrational hatred of AirBnB that the UK has and I've stayed in some fab ones.

Strangely, despite my hatred of hotel rooms, I love cabins on boats! If my cabin has a bed, desk, en suite and porthole window, I'm in ecstasy. I've never been on a cruise, and I can't imagine how much I would love to do so in a cabin with a balcony. I might never leave.